With official launch this week, it's full stream ahead for UFC's Fight Pass digital network

(This story first appeared in Tuesday’s USA TODAY.)

LAS VEGAS – For the past several years, UFC President Dana White has teased his vision for the future success of his company. On Saturday, he’ll find out if his ideas were right.

“This is a big moment. We’re excited,” Marshall Zelaznik, the UFC’s chief content officer, told USA TODAY Sports.

The promotion’s new digital network, UFC Fight Pass, converts Saturday from free-preview status to a fee-based subscription product. The service costs $9.99 a month and is available online via personal computers, as well as iOS and Android devices.

Expansion to additional platforms like Roku and Apple TV is expected in the near future.

Available since December on a trial basis, the service offers on-demand access to the UFC’s extensive library of past mixed martial arts events while also streaming a minimum of 10 exclusive live events each year, as well as preliminary contests for the promotion’s other cards.

UFC officials declined to reveal how many subscribers the service has earned during its trial period, but Zelaznik said the company is pleased with the early numbers.

“When we built our business model for this we looked at our numbers on Facebook, we looked at our numbers that were watching free prelims, we looked at the number of people that would come to the UFC.tv world and transact with a pay-per-view or an a la carte video, and we kind of put all that together and came up with numbers we thought were reasonable and justifiable to rely on,” Zelaznik said. “We’ve more than doubled it, and we’re coming up on the verge of tripling it.”

On Saturday, the service features the live broadcast of The Ultimate Fighter China Finale (6:15 a.m ET), a nine-bout card that takes place at The Venetian Macao’s CotaiArena in Macau, China. On March 8, UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa streams live from London. And next month, The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3, featuring coaches Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen, debuts on Fight Pass.

Zelaznik said the UFC is committed to delivering a wide range of programming to make Fight Pass a must-have for MMA fans.

“For me, the trick is not only converting all these free subscribers to pay subscribers, it’s giving them content that will also keep them there,” Zelaznik said.

The initial launch hasn’t been without criticism. Some fans and media quickly labeled the product an unfinished beta test, while others expressed security concerns. Zelaznik insisted user privacy is of the utmost importance to the company and that while UFC Fight Pass is a developing product, it’s also one of which the promotion already is proud.

“There’s always an evolution of any of these digital offerings; look at what Netflix was in the beginning, or how HBO GO has morphed,” Zelaznik said. “But we believe the service is, even at this early stage, a vibrant, viable product that people will enjoy. We also know we’re going to work hard to continue to update and advance the user interface so that it becomes maybe a little more of a rich experience.”

The potential upside for the UFC is compelling, which is why White has long expressed his vision for a reliable online delivery platform.

Zelaznik said the promotion is simply set on executing White’s vision, which includes the UFC becoming the most recognizable sporting brand in the world.

“The success of Fight Pass will not determine the success of the company, but we do see Fight Pass as being a product which is going to allow all of our TV partners around the world to feel they’ve got a product that will continue to drive interest in the UFC, which will continue to add value to their deals with us.

“There’s only so much shelf space any one of our partners has for our content, so this is really just a way to get our content into the hands of our fans. Fight Pass is allowing the UFC to deliver more fights than it would otherwise deliver.”

For more on the TUF China Finale, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Marshall Zelaznik)